NCJ Number
224282
Journal
Legal and Criminological Psychology Volume: 13 Issue: Part 2 Dated: September 2008 Pages: 165-176
Date Published
September 2008
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This paper summarizes recent research on recovered memories with potential application within the justice system.
Abstract
The results found that by focusing on well-known imperfections of human memory, it was possible to find differing origins for recovered memory experiences; people recovering memories through suggestive therapy are more prone to forming false memories, and with people reporting spontaneously recovered memories are more prone to forgetting prior incidences of remembering. Moreover, the two types of recovered memory reports are associated with differences in corroborative evidence, suggesting that memories recovered spontaneously, outside of suggestive therapy, are more likely to correspond to genuine abuse events. The work notes that recent research on recovered memories of childhood sexual abuse has shown that there are at least two types of recovered memory experiences: those that are gradually recovered within the context of suggestive therapy and those that are spontaneously recovered, without extensive prompting or explicit attempts to reconstruct the past. This paper summarizes recent research on recovered memories and opines that these scientific findings should be applied in the justice system, as well as in clinical practice. In addition to the discussion on the two types of recovered memory experiences, the paper also provides a clinical viewpoint by presenting information on source monitoring; underestimation of prior remembering; different cognitive profiles; suppression of intrusions; and corroborative evidence for recovered events. A concluding discussion on legal implications and evidentiary issues is provided. References